Texting and Its Effects

Whether we notice it or not, technology is rapidly changing our culture. Texting particularly has caught my attention because of the effect it has on people. While there are many positive aspects of texting such as the fact that it provides a convenient way for one to keep tabs on one's family members or friends, I think that there are also many downsides. In addition to the highly publicized statistic that texting while driving is the leading cause of traffic accidents, there are also other negative consequences. Teachers, brace yourselves, students often text in class. This means they are not paying attention to the lesson at hand and studies have shown that students who text in class are developing short attention spans. Texting is also changing the way we interact with one another. I personally know many teenagers who rely on texting for the majority of their communication. This practice is causing them to lose the skill of talking to someone face to face comfortably. When interacting with people in person, they lack confidence and often feel awkward. Texting is even replacing the original purpose of the phone; calling someone. Just calling someone has become foreign to many people. Talking on the phone is now viewed as something one does to show more affection or intimacy. Texting brings up many issues of the many ways technology is affecting our culture; and it is having a significant impact.

My four brothers and I have a constant debate with my parents about whether or not we should be allowed texting. My siblings and I are pro texting and my parents, unfortunately, are anti-texting. At first, my father’s main concern was financially having to pay sixty more dollars each month. He stressed that in this economy, any unnecessary spending should be cut. Now, in light of the recent news reports of all the traffic accidents being caused by drivers texting, his additional reason is that he is afraid we would text and drive. Even though we constantly promise we will not drive and text, my father is not being persuaded. I am interested in looking into the facts about texting in order to determine whether or not my father is right that the costs and risks of texting outweigh the benefits. This subject is also of interest to me because, even though I am an outsider to the texting world, the practice of texting is rampant among all of the people around me on a day-to-day basis. Communicating through text messages has become a way of life to them. It is interesting to see how this habit affects their social skills when they have to communicate face to face. It is concerning and a little aggravating to experience the awkwardness it can cause.